I went on a bit of an expedition yesterday. My main aim was take a look around the former Ferodo factory at Caernarfon (closed since about 2006) but I thought I would also take a look at two very interesting small country estates that lie next to each other and are just along the cycle path from Ferodo.
The first mansion was called Plas Ty Coch. Both this and the sister estate next door (Plas Brereton) were bought by one man back in 2000, who had a plan to renovate both and convert into luxury hotel/restaurant etc. Unfortunately, after several million pounds were spent, the money ran out. The sad thing was that the properties were very close to completion at this time, with both mansions having been completely refurbished, rewired, reroofed, decorated etc and the extensive gardens landscaped with water features etc. So, the properties went up for sale, an investor from Liverpool bought them...and the money ran out again. This time, they didn't sell...and the vandals and thieves moved in. Both mansions have been comprehensively trashed/looted and the beautifully landscaped gardens are now just an overgrown mess.
So I wandered in off the cycle track and took a look around. Plas Ty Coch is the more interesting of the two mansions, a Gentlemans Residence from the 1800s with a large walled garden that is still full of many varieties of apples, pears etc (all currently waiting to be picked) and even grapes and dates in the relatively undamaged greenhouses. At the bottom of the landscaped grounds is a very overgrown Chinese Water Garden, complete with little bridges and various Ponds/Rills. There is also a small dock and cottage directly on the Menai Straits, accessed by a small tunnel underneath the cycle track. So, a very interesting place to look around. I can put up some more photos if anyone is interested.
After that, I headed back onto the cycle path and soon arrived at the former Ferodo factory. Incidentally, the cycle track was once the Caernarfon-Bangor railway line until it closed early in the 1970s. Shortly before arriving at the factory, I passed underneath a concrete access bridge and it was interesting to see that the bridge still had smoke deflectors fitted to the underneath to deal with the effects of smoke from steam trains. The inevitable hole in the hedge soon appeared and I just walked onto the Ferodo site. Boy, is it a big building, the size of several football pitches and totally wrecked. Sad to think that once over 1,000 men worked here and as the main employer in the area. It is now awaiting demolition and redevelopment. It was actually very eerie walking round such a big building on my own, especially with the strange noises booming out as bits of the roof moved with the wind.
After a good look around, it was time for a walk along the cycle track back into Caernarfon and a refreshing coffee on Y Maes.
Plas Ty Coch by
[davidrobertsphotography], on Flickr
Plas Brereton by
[davidrobertsphotography], on Flickr
Ferodo Caernarfon by
[davidrobertsphotography], on Flickr